1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a Web service providing apparatus, and more particularly to a Web service providing apparatus that can perform various processes, such as copying and printing, on a document or an image stored in another connected apparatus through cooperation with apparatuses connected to the Web service providing apparatus via a network in flexible manners, that is, even if a user is in front of any of the connected apparatuses and operates the apparatus.
In addition, the present invention relates to a Web service providing method performed by such a Web service providing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the prior art associated with processing for image data through cooperation with image forming apparatuses connected to each other via a network, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2000-6496 discloses an image forming apparatus, which can be connected to information output apparatuses via a network, designed to prevent quality degradation of an output image even if any of the information output apparatuses in the network outputs the image.
However, since the disclosed image forming apparatus is intended to cause other apparatuses connected thereto via a network to output image data, the disclosed invention does not cover other types of information processing that are performed through cooperation with the connected apparatuses. Accordingly, the conventional image forming apparatus, if a multifunctional product having various functions not limited to image processing is connected to the image forming apparatus via the network, cannot control cooperation to perform such various processes that the multifunctional product can provide. Hence, the conventional image forming apparatus has disadvantages in that the image forming apparatus cannot make full use of such various functions of the connected multifunctional product.